Vitamin IV

Need an immunity boost? Drop into The Drip Room for a vitamin infusion in a luxe spa setting.

Often credited as a miracle hangover cure thanks to reality television spots on such classics as Jersey Shore Family Vacation and Vanderpump Rules, vitamin IV drips are purported to help with a much wider circle of maladies, from the flu to insomnia.

Registered nurse Shirley Kelly opened The Drip Room, the Valley’s first such vitamin bar, in Old Town Scottsdale in 2013. Her second location, done in calming teals at The Colony on trendy Seventh Street in Uptown Phoenix, opened in June. She was turned onto the idea of opening a one-stop vitamin shop in the early 2000s when medical spas began gaining popularity. “I’d say [The Drip Room] is a med spa, dry bar combo,” she says.

Indeed, as at a blow dry bar, walk-ins pick from a menu of services. Choose from 12 different vitamin cocktails like Energy, with extra B-12, B-5 and B-6 vitamins that aid in the conversion of food to energy. Kick back in a chic massage chair while a licensed nurse finds a vein and starts the infusion, which takes about 30 minutes. Pressed for time? Perhaps a shot of B-12 in the rump will do the trick, or some deep breaths at the oxygen bar with aromatherapy for headache help.

In addition to a separate lounge for parties, Kelly employs a mobile unit that brings drips to corporate retreats and office complexes to get employees through crunch times and flu season.

While Kelly is quick to clarify that this isn’t a doctor’s office, and a vitamin drip won’t take the place of necessary medication or a well-rounded diet, she says The Drip Room is a complement to one’s wellness regimen. “Really, most people don’t get enough nutrients in their diet,” Kelly says. “There’s more stress in our lives than ever before, we’re exposed to more toxins in our environment and in our food… getting more vitamins directly into our system can only help.”

Ride the Wellness WaveUnique wellness ventures are sprouting all over the Valley, making good health a recreational activity.

OXYGEN BARSVitality O2 BarForget alcohol: Oxygen bars like the Vitality O2 Bar at OdySea in the Desert serve patrons a basic human necessity. Select from a variety of flavors like lavender or watermelon, each intended to address an aspect of wellness, such as stress relief or endurance. vitalityint.com/odysea

SALT THERAPYSalt Chalet ArizonaSalt isn’t just for seasoning. Halotherapy – an alternative treatment of breathing salty air, dating back to medieval times – is said to help treat respiratory conditions like asthma or allergies. At Salt Chalet Arizona in Scottsdale, recline in salt rooms permeated with negative ions and breathe in purifying, salty air. saltchaletarizona.com

LEECH THERAPYArizona Leech TherapyFor thousands of years, leeches were used to suck tainted blood from a patient to “balance the humours” (four distinct bodily fluids – blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile – the ancient Greeks believed influenced health). Still in use today, leech treatment is said to help high cholesterol, hypertension, migraines, dental inflammation and menstrual cramps. arizonaleechtherapy.com— Daniel Crumbley

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